When Joseph Roberts was getting ready to finish his round of active duty with the U.S. Air Force, he considered recommitting to military service, but knew his family could be sent anywhere, and they had already spent six years in North Dakota, away from their family in Cincinnati.
While back in the Cincinnati region for a two-week leave, Roberts learned about a job opening at
Atlas Air Worldwide that was similar to his position with the Air Force, which would provide a smooth transition from one career to the other.
Atlas Air Worldwide, a leading global provider of outsourced aviation logistics for cargo and passenger aviation services, has a major presence at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
(CVG). The company consistently searches for aviation talent such as pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians, or IT talent for its operations center in Erlanger, Kentucky. Atlas employs many veterans at all levels of its operations.
Roberts said hearing about the job opportunity made his decision easier, especially once he learned about Atlas’ involvement with SkillBridge, which allows service members to receive job skills training at civilian businesses during their last six months of military service, often through internships.
SkillBridge: Connecting veterans to private sector companies
Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, thousands of private sector companies, like Atlas, are industry partners in SkillBridge and recruit veteran talent.
Service members leaving active duty without jobs is a major issue, said Roberts, but SkillBridge provides them with opportunities to gain insight into careers, showcase the skills they gained during service, and have a chance at immediate employment upon leaving active duty.
“Identifying and closing gaps in workforce development are crucial to future economic success in Northern Kentucky and the focus of our workforce solutions initiative,” said BE NKY Growth Partnership President/CEO Lee Crume. “Raising awareness of SkillBridge and attracting veterans to the region are critical to our success.”
Leisa Spears Snyder, Atlas’ Director, Workforce Development, said SkillBridge helps the company connect with military personnel seeking employment and support veterans during this transition in their lives. Roberts was Atlas’ first SkillBridge hire.
Atlas Talent Acquisition Specialist Christopher Jarvis, a U.S. Army veteran himself, is helping the company coordinate the program. Jarvis has a degree in human resourcing and previously worked as a recruiter in the Army.
When Jarvis was retiring from the Army in June 2022, he attended a
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) career fair in Cincinnati, where he spoke with Atlas and accepted a job offer with the company three days before completing active duty.
DAV, headquartered in Erlanger, helps more than 1 million veterans every year through multiple channels, including helping them find meaningful and sustainable employment through hundreds of job fairs nationwide.
“The military has always been an incredible source of top-tier talent for us," said Spears Snyder. "While we can teach technical skills, the critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership abilities that military personnel bring are invaluable.”
Jarvis works with his team to find positions that work for SkillBridge applicants, so when Roberts reached out looking for an opportunity, they were able to find an aligned position and make it happen.
“I am able to use my experience to help veterans and bring them on board,” said Jarvis. “It’s something I didn’t know I wanted to do until I did it.”
The most difficult part of this process is taking service members’ military skills and translating those skills into a civilian job, but he said it’s worth it.
“The military pushes creative thinking and figuring things out, and veterans are good about stepping up,” said Jarvis. “Veterans have a good work ethic, and if you give them a task, they will find a way to figure it out.”
Atlas attracts veterans to Northern Kentucky
While in the Air Force, Roberts worked as a mechanic on B-52 airplanes, and at the end of his career, he oversaw the ordering and handling of materials. He hoped to move to a civilian job involving planning and parts and was able to transfer to a similar job at Atlas as a workload scheduler.
Two people at the company have now successfully completed the SkillBridge program and Jarvis said they are working with their third candidate, who will begin an internship at the end of August. He said there is the potential for more candidates, and services members often reach out six to eight months ahead of their eligibility date.
“As we show success, more people are trying to get into the program,” Jarvis said.
Roberts said every company should be involved with SkillBridge and every service member should at least be knowledgeable about it. He has helped friends work through the program at other companies.
“There is a strong number of military personnel interested in our region, and if you are an employer who needs talented people, you might want to look into becoming an authorized SkillBridge employer,” said Spears Snyder.
Roberts is still a reservist in the Air Force and said he plans to serve for 20 years. He started at Atlas in October 2022 and said this job is a launching point for him. He can pursue his airframe and powerplant (A&P) aviation mechanic license, which would allow him to grow and move forward into different positions at Atlas.
Epic Flight Academy, which recently opened its new aircraft mechanic school at CVG in April, offers training and certification for this license.
“I really enjoy working at Atlas and am very happy I made the move back to my hometown,” said Roberts.
Service members interested in the SkillBridge program can find available opportunities, including at Atlas Air Worldwide.